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Arqueologia Amazônica The first five chapters all look in various ways at human occupations sequences. Francisco Bocanegra Por Neil L. Whitehead examines the occupation of the tropical forests of University of Wisconsin-Madison Colombia to provide a regional synthesis of materials in ([email protected]) the northwestern parts of the Amazonia. The date range is fairly wide, 7,000-3,000 BP and seems to be later than occupation of higher elevations to the west, such as Popayan, Bogotá or the coastal region of Urabá. At the 11,000 BP mark Maura Silveira and Denise Schaan discuss the occupation of the Atlantic coast during the Holocene era up to around 6,000-3,000 BP. Mariana Cabral and João Saldanha discuss the much later ‘pre-colonial’ sites and occupations for the State of Amapá to the north of the Amazon and a second chapter by Saldanha and PEREIRA, Edithe; Cabral goes on to consider new directions in expanding GUAPINDAIA, Vera research about this very rich archaeological zone. Martijn (Orgs.). Arqueologia Amazônica. Belém: van den Bel complements these chapters and extends MPEG; IPHAN; discussion into the Guianas with a presentation of the SECULT, 2010. 1112 p. 2 v.: il. v. 1: ISBN 978- result so an excavation of a Koriabo site on the Maroni 85-61377-21-2. v. 2: River in French Guiana. ISBN 978-85-61377- 22-9. The discussion of Koriabo ceramics opens a wider regional perspective and Alberta Zucchi considers a broad This is a wonderful collection that reflects the astonishing model for the ancient migrations of the Maipuran Arawaks expansion of recent work on the archaeology of Amazonia. and the Caribs, while Franz Scaramelli and Kay Tarble, the The editors, Edithe Pereira and Vera Guapindaia are to be late pre-Hispanic of the middle Orinoco through ceramic warmly congratulated for having assembled such a valuable traces. Consideration of these kinds of archeological data array of scholarship. The Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, as is the basis for a chapter by Stéphen Rostain on the “myth the editors make clear, is no less important in supporting the or reality” of chieftains in the Guianas, although the review emergence of this two volume work and as such continues is useful it prompts the further question as to whether its tradition of pioneering archaeological research. Over the this debate itself is really helpful in understanding the last two decades in particular there has been a steady growth archaeological materials since implicit and explicit in the of diverse theoretical and methodological approaches being earlier discussions are models of regional interaction that brought to bear on an Amazonian past that transpires to be far may have given rise to many political formations changing richer and more complex, as well as more ancient, than earlier through time and thus only intermittently reflecting the researchers had realized. The editors have also taken the kind of material markers of complexity that chiefdom- laudable view that ‘Amazonia’ as a cultural and archaeological theorists hold significant. In the following chapter Cristiana contrast is not to be strictly limited to the watershed defined by Barreto uses the case of Marajó as a basis for reflecting the Amazon River but must necessarily comprise the Orinoco on the wider relationships between ceramic production River watershed, and the Guianas as well. and social complexity. The themes of this discussion are
613 Cultura material e patrimônio da ciência e tecnologia then taken up by Denise Gomes with regard to the famed formation of terra preta (anthropogenic dark soils). Daniel ceramic art of Tapajó. Chocano and Marcos Magalhães in their separate chapters João Fonseca offers a fascinating discussion of lithic also employ ethno-archaeological techniques to better statuary from the lower Amazon first uncovered by João understand past anthropogenic process, both culturally Barbosa Rodrigues in the nineteenth century and which as in Cochano discussion of cranial deformation, and with have generally received less attention that these ceramic regard to ambient biotic life in Magalhães discussion of the complexes. However, the thematic connections he ‘natural’ and ‘anthropogenic’ as categories through which suggests with the San Agustin complex in Colombia serve to interpret contemporary biotic patterns. This theme is to remind us of the far flung connections that may have very nicely demonstrated also in Sheila Souza’s discussion existed in ancient Amazonia. Edithe Pereira, Kay Tarble and of the “bio-archaeological silence” in Amazonia, which Franz Scaramelli as well as Raoni Valle also consider lithic very pertinently asks how the profound changes in human modeling in the form of ‘rock art’ or petroglyphic inscription demography since 1500 are reflected in the presence and and painting. Pereira offers some fascinating insights into the absence of tropical forest biota as reflected in the analysis of stylistic homologies between ceramic modeling of human human bone materials. Ândrea Ribeiro-dos-Santos, Daniela figures and depictions in petroglyphs. This is an important Leite and Sidney Santos likewise consider the patterns of departure in the interpretation of petroglyphs which have mitochondrial DNA that can be recovered from human often been assumed to be pre-ceramic in character. Pereira remains as a way to map past human populations and their shows convincingly that this homology merits much more relatedness, also allowing them to draw out important thought and investigation. Tarble and Scaramelli’s chapter contrasts not just between ancient populations but also definitively expands our appreciation of the richness and between past and contemporary Amazonian demography. complexity of the petroglyphic repertoire for the Orinoco The final two chapters of Volume I broach important as does Valle for the Negro River. Taken together these if relatively unstudied features of archaeological work in three chapters really enhance our appreciation of the Amazonia. Underwater archaeology is discussed by Gilson importance of placing ‘rock art’ in both a wider aesthetic Rambelli who shows its many potentials. Unfortunately, frame and to seek the stylistic constancies that may well as least in the Guyanese, this potential has already been link these various local complexes into a wider panorama. shown through the mining and dredging operations The final seven chapters of Volume I of this collection carried out by gold-miners. Some of the most intriguing al deal with interesting and more recent methodologies archaeological materials recovered have derived from the with which to approach the past. Juliana Machado takes gold-dredges but are then obviously of little use for scientific an ethno-archaeological approach to understanding the interpretation. A more active program of underwater re-occupation of human cultural spaces which serves well archaeology, as Rambelli shows, would therefore bring to remind us that a theoretical bias towards initial and first many benefits. Related to this accidental pillaging of forms of human activity can occlude the important ways in archaeological materials is the question of tourism discussed which continuous usage is less though about. Over some by Shirlei Santos for the Rupununi region. A world-wide of the long time spans that are evident from the earlier issue that necessarily asks us to balance ‘science’ and ‘public materials in the volume is becomes very significant to ask access’ is no less present, even if as yet fairly undeveloped, how re-usage relates and changes materially our ability to in Amazonia. Her essay is a welcome reflection on those understand initial and first occupations. In particular this themes and the role local communities themselves must bears strongly on such critical phenomenon such as the take in managing their heritage.
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Volume II opens with a superb essay on archaeology a significant impact on contemporary understandings and cultural memory by Michael Heckenberger. Focusing of ethnicity and history, an issue which is then taken up on late prehistoric occupations after 500 AD the author very extensively in the chapter by Fabíola Silva et al. reflecting convincingly establishes the existence of “macro-regions”. on the theoretical implications of research, especially This insight matches work also done in the Orinoco Basin archaeological research, amongst extant indigenous and takes Amazonian archaeology well beyond the very populations. Both the subsequent chapters by Ana Galúcio limited horizons of site-specific interpretations. This is a and José Mazz also consider this important relation major step forward intellectually and allows, as the author between ethnography and archaeology in the context of notes, archaeological interpretation to be properly situated Matis and Tupi-Guarani populations. in larger “schema of historical and ecological change”. The following chapters by Morgan Schmidt and by Subsequent chapters by Eduardo Neves and Helena Lima Manoel Arroyo-Kalin on anthrosoils formation, as well as likewise take up these themes in highly illuminating ways by Rita Scheel-Ybert et al. discussion of palaeoethnobotany, examining both the nature of archaeological classifications Albérico Queiroz and Olivia Carvalho’s examination of in this light and the idea of a longue durée. Chapters by zoo-archaeology and José Luiz’s examination of geo-physical Lucas Bueno and Claide Moraes then undergird these methodologies in the state of Pará, serve to remind us approaches with specific discussion of lithic technology and of the central place that these relatively new approaches chronologies of occupation as well as comparison of circular to archaeological science hold in enabling the wider villages through time. These chapters in turn are nicely interpretations manifest in so many of the other chapters. complemented by Anne Py-Daniel’s discussion of funerary It is also very encouraging to see that the volume practices at the important Hatahara site in the Solimões editors have not taken the narrow view that archaeology River, Arkley Bandeira’s discussion of fishing, gathering, is only concerned with the ancient past, or at least the hunting and ceramic production along the littoral regions at pre-colonial past and this is well validated by Marcos the mouth of Amazon River, allowing us to appreciate that Albuquerque and Veleda Lucena’s highly enlightening there can be no simple one-to-one identification of ceramic discussion of colonial fortifications and other built production with ‘settled agriculture’. A similar necessity for landscapes. Márcia Bezerra’s chapter on education and caution in applying developmental sequences derived from cultural patrimony therefore is very welcome as national archaeology elsewhere is demonstrated in Maria Rodet, self-fashioning takes so many of its cues from how the Vera Guapindaia and Amauri Matos’s discussion of lithic and archaeological past is made manifest through excavation ceramic production more widely in Amazonia. and recovery of artifacts as well as the human landscape Gerard Migéon’s discussion of the regional relations sin which such archaeological objects are situated. The of the archaeological materials from French Guyana concluding chapters to Volume II by Alicia Ebbitt on underlines the insights of the earlier chapters in these Belizean experiences with heritage education and Carla volumes by reminding us of the need to make interpretation Carneiro’s discussion of education about cultural patrimony spatially expansive and open to the possibility of relatively therefore nicely round out the presentation of the various intensive regional interactions, in this case connecting the archaeological materials with timely reflection on what the Caribbean to Amazonia. No less important is the chapter purposes of archaeology itself may be and how to better by Deusdédit Leite Filho that considers Maranhão and direct them to constructive ends. the cultural remains of populations that persisted into the There are 44 separate chapters in the two volumes historical era. Interpretation of such materials can have amounting to over 1000 pages and a minor criticism of
615 Cultura material e patrimônio da ciência e tecnologia the editorial strategy is that there is no thematic or topical this vast region would be premature, as the chapters grouping of the various contributions. Although this does themselves clearly demonstrate, but eventually it will not undermine the overall value of the volumes it leaves become necessary even if to fracture the very category the reader (or reviewer) to wonder about the wider of ‘Amazonia’ itself. In the meanwhile the authors and connections that could be inferred from the materials especially editors are to be warmly congratulated on the presented. Certainly overly-broad characterizations of production of such intellectually indispensable volumes.
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